Note: This is the 11th in a series of stories about the teams Syracuse will face in the Orange's first year in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

PITTSBURGH

History with Syracuse: Syracuse and Pittsburgh have played 102 times. Syracuse leads the all-time series 63-39. Syracuse was 31-21 against Pittsburgh in Big East regular season games and 5-1 against the Panthers in the Big East Tournament. Pittsburgh beat Syracuse 65-55 in the only regular season meeting between the two schools last season, but Syracuse got its revenge with a 62-59 win over the Panthers in the Big East Tournament.

Next year's schedule: Syracuse and Pittsburgh play both home and away next season.

2012-13 season

The Pittsburgh Panthers had very good season in 2012-13. The Panthers went 24-9 overall and 12-6 in the Big East Conference. And yet something seemed to be lacking.

The Panthers' only regular season non-conference loss was a neutral court loss to Michigan. Pitt lost three of its first four Big East games, but rebounded to go 12-6 in the league. Pitt finished fourth in the Big East; just one game behind the three co-champs Louisville, Georgetown and Marquette. Four of Pitt's six conference losses were to Louisville, Georgetown and/or Marquette.

Pitt was a team that seemed better than the sum of its parts. The leading scorer was senior guard Tray Woodall, who averaged just 11.5 points per game. The Panthers scored just 65.9 points per game in Big East play, but Pitt's scoring defense ranked second in the conference at 58.2 points per game.

Pitt's leading rebounder was 7-foot freshman Steven Adams, who recorded 6.3 boards per game. And yet, Pitt ranked second in the Big East in rebounding margin with a +3.9 in conference games.

No one would call Pitt a great shooting team, but the Panthers' 36.2 3-point shooting percentage ranked second in Big East play. The Panthers made 44.8 percent of their shots overall; that number ranked third in the league.

But the Panthers' success was based on a slim margin for error. The Panthers' blue-collar style of play under coach Jamie Dixon breeds a consistency over the course of a season and from year to year, but it also puts the Panthers in a large number of close games.

Of Pitt's 18 Big East regular season games, the Panthers were in 12 games that were decided by 10 points or less. The Panthers were 6-6 in those games. Then came the post-season. Pitt went 0-2 in the post-season, losing a 62-59 decision to Syracuse in the Big East Tournament quarterfinals and then suffering a stunning 73-55 loss to Wichita State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

It was a disappointing end to what had been another successful season in Oakland.

The 2013-14 season

Pittsburgh figured to bring back five of its top six scorers. The only major loss would be Woodall, the Panthers' tough-minded point guard, but freshman James Robinson had served a year alongside Woodall, being groomed as his successor.

Remember what Robert Burns wrote about the best laid plans of mice and men? Well, that's what happened to Dixon's plans for 2013-14.

First Adams decided to enter the NBA draft. There's no question that Adams, a native of New Zealand, is an NBA talent, but he's not yet a sure-fire first-round pick. He averaged just 7.2 points and 6.3 rebounds as a freshman. At this point, most mock drafts have him at the very end of the first round. His departure creates a huge hole in the middle of Pitt's defense and takes away a potential low-post scoring option.

Then, J.J. Moore and Trey Zeigler both decided to transfer. Neither player's decision was expected. Both were juniors. Moore had averaged 8.0 points in 18.7 minutes per game. Zeigler had transferred to Pitt from Central Michigan. Though he played just 15.5 minutes per game, he will now head to his third D-I school.

Suddenly, Dixon's key returning veterans are Robinson, Lamar Patterson and Talib Zanna. Robinson, who averaged 6.1 points and 3.5 assists as a freshman, will take over at the point. Patterson, a 6-5 junior, averaged 10.0 points per game. Zanna, a 6-9 junior forward, scored 9.6 points and hauled in 6.1 rebounds per game last year.

Durand Johnson, a 6-6 rising sophomore, and Cameron Wright, a 6-4 junior-to-be, will help Pitt at the wing positions.

But Dixon needs depth to apply his intense pressure defense. As a result, he will turn to a four-player recruiting class plus a potentially important transfer. The recruiting class includes Mike Young, a 6-8 forward from St. Benedict's Prep in Newark, N.J.; Jamel Artis, a 6-7 forward from Baltimore, Md., by way of Notre Dame (Mass.) Prep and Josh Newkirk, a 6-2 guard from Raleigh, N.C. Pitt also got a late commitment from Joseph Uchebo, a center from Chipola (Fla.) Junior College.

Pitt will also bring in DeAndre Kane, a combo guard from Marshall University. Kane will be eligible immediately at Pitt. He averaged 15.0 points per game in his three years at Marshall. He could partner with Robinson right away in the backcourt.

Even with the unexpected losses, Pittsburgh will bring a talented group into the Atlantic Coast Conference next season. It's easy to envision a starting lineup of Robinson, Kane, Patterson and Zane. The key will be finding the fifth starter - perhaps Young or Ochebo? - and then developing enough depth behind the starting unit.